ABSTRACT
To understand where we are now and how we came to be here, a quick overview of the contemporary history of torture is useful. There are excellent reviews of the topic (Rejali, 2007); in this chapter we will focus on the historical origins of psychological torture. Contemporary torture is the result of the combined work of torturers around the world who share experiences and techniques: they learn from one another, in some cases through competition and copying, in others through direct cooperation.
